Christmas 2008

The shot above is of us on the Christmas Train.
We have thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas together as a family. We made it to an estate near by where they run a train during the holidays for the kids. There is a Santa near the middle of the ride who hands out teddy bears to all the kids. It was fun and delightful for the kiddos!

Picture on right:Playing in the leaves after the train ride!
Picture on left: The kids and mom having a good time together at the
outreach.
The picture below: Jordan was sooo happy after his 4th cookie of the day! Thanks mom for not looking!!

We held a Christmas outreach in our

local community hosted

by Calvary Chapel Cambridge.

It was such a delight for all who came.

Everyone helped and contributed in some way.

Hearts were touchand all

enjoyed the food and fellowship.

God was glorified in every way.

The week before Christmas we took Maddie and Josiah into the city to see Beauty and the Beast as a surprise along with Georgina, the daughter of some good friends of ours. The kids were so surprised and excited. Jordan was just a bit too young and would've cried through the show so we left him with a friend of ours.

the picture above: We took Maddie and Josiah to see

Beauty and the Beast with their
friend Georgina.
The picture below right: The four of us
in front of the Cambridge Christmas tree.
Nothing like NYC! But it will have to do!

Christmas Eve was spent with friends from the fellowship and watching It's a Wonderful Life.

Being reminded of the gift we have in our Savior and in the life He gave us is so important. May we never forget this and live life for the glory of the Lord!

Our Christmas day was spent here at the house with just us! It was a first for us and we really enjoyed it! The kids played with their new toys and loved having all of our attention to themselves. We are truly enjoying family and the joy of the Lord!

*-

We are looking forward to all that the Lord has in store for us in the New Year. We have grown so much in the last two years here in England we can't imagine what else He has for us! WOW, what an adventure! Thank you Lord! We pray this finds you just as blessed and enjoying your family members, those in Christ and by birth. Love you all!

An afternoon tea.

I hosted a fellowship at my house in Oct. This is the

second of many I pray that will naturally develop

into a time of devotional and Bible study time.

This is the setup after the Devonshire cream and jam were consumed as

well as the finger sandwiches. I had made 16 scones; only

4 were left!

Our intimate group of ladies on a Thursday afternoon.

Tiff, Michelle, Kate, and Caroline.

Kate, Michelle and me on a walk after tea!

I had the privilege of being a part of and serving in healthy women's Bible studies for the past 10 years. I came here imagining that we would head in the direction of starting one here sooner than later. I knew it would start small, but it would be in His timing or not at all.

Of course with with the challenges of life being as they are, I have waited.

Well, being here for almost 2 years in Feb. of 09, I can tell you first hand that having a formal study has not been on the agenda. As Joey and I have sought the Lord, we see the need to draw the brethren together outside of a formal setting and create an opportunity for fellowship.

Joey is faithfully teaching the Word to the body, but we see the need for outside friendships to be made. Of course no one can force relationships, but we can create atmosphere that encourages it. So that is the heart behind these hang-out times.

It is such a joy to look around a room and see people engaging in conversation. There is always the nervous twitch in my stomach when I think about having people over and wondering if I will have to carry the conversation. Of course that is stupid and the Lord always takes care of it.

That day flowed so nicely and there was great joy shared by all.

I love these ladies and the ones who were not there as well. My heart

desires to be a blessing to all, but to encourage the

woman in their walks with God especially. What a wonderful

opportunity to serve the Lord this way! It truly is amazing.

Little somethings...

My amazing family of five!!!

I know...Jordan wasn't happy, but the

rest of us were!

I am praisin the Lord for every good and perfect gift!

I love it when I wake up and find myself thanking the Lord

for the life I live.

My last post was from a heart that has been very overwhelmed

and drowning in a sea of self-pity.

I allowed my circumstances to dictate

how I was feeling and my heart was failing.

My husband took me aside and shared his heart with me

and encouraged me to get alone with the Lord.

Taking his advice, I found my soul refreshed and

ready for the days ahead.

My circumstances have not changed, but my perspective has.

Instead of viewing certain things in my life as a burden,

I now see them as opportunities for the Lord to use me.

To perfect for His glory and eternal purpose.

I have the chance to pour into three little people

and teach them the ways of the Lord. I have the chance to teach them to

read and write and why things float and why the elephant has wrinkles.

I get to love my husband more everyday and serve him in all the ways the Lord puts on my heart. I am a blessed woman who misses so much by pushing these things aside so often.

I hate regrets and pray I will have fewer and fewer the older I get.

I truly want to be a woman after God's own heart.

So I will continue to pursue His will and trust in His ways.

I will not let down and give up when the pressure is on.

I will trust in His promises...He who has begun a good work in me

will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ!

Our God is an AWEsome God! Don't you forget it!

Blessings to you and yours on this fine day.

Are you overewhelmed?

There are days when I wonder if life will ever give me a break; if I will forever be doing what I am doing for the rest of my life. Living at a pace that I believe God never intended for His creation to abide by. It is in those moments, especially lately that I can then fall back on how good my God is. How good He is to remind me that we do have an eternal rest that we can have right now. There is nothing out of control for Him. There is nothing to difficult for Him. He often times sits back and waits for us to realize that we can't do it on our own and need Him to sustain us through lifes ups and downs and every day hastle that seem daunting at times.

I yearn for sweet fellowship and sancuary with my Lord that I can't get from this life. The place of escape that allows me to be recharged and geared up for the next day of ministry. The next day of homeschooling with a busy 17 month old. The next day of serving. The next day of loving my family and friends so much that it hurts. I know that my God cares. I know that He holds me with His righteous right hand.

I know, as my mom so faithfully shared with me just the other day from Deuteronomy 33:12 that,

"The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, who shelters him all the day long;

And he shall dwell between His shoulders."

I am His beloved and He is mine! He shelters me in the most difficult times and reminds me daily. I just need to take the time to hear Him and rest in His promises. And I am covered by His ever loving, secure arms! Can't you hear His heartbeat in this verse? I can, and I love that I can be in that secure place even when the world is in shambles. Even when my heart is overwhelmed (which it has been as of late) I will run to the Rock that is higher than I!

Oh Lord, I need your mercy and your grace. May I rest in the shadow of your wings. May I not look at life as something to get through, but as something to embrace as an opportunity to know You more as I serve others who come into my sphere. Thank You for giving me life and that I can have it more abundantly!

You are so wonderful and gracious! Praise His name and be blessed!

Okay, so this is where we analyze the 15 month old as he enters the "I want your cell phone now" phase. All of my kids have gone through this stage of life because they have a parent like most who is on it alot! So it is natural to see this and want one too. Of course this want is not limited to the cell only, but the house phone as well. So to accomidate I remove one battery thinking that will cool his desire for a while until he figures out there is no beeping or flashing lights on the phone. At least he's descent enough to find another interest for a short while til he comes around for a snack and the phone that I have now attached to my ear! Don't put anything past little people...they understand more than they can communicate.

But It makes me laugh to think that I never went through this phase because I didn't even know what a cell phone was.

My poor mom never had to deal with this tantrum phase, God bless her!

Anyhow, thought I'd share a mother-son moment with the #3 child who wants his way now...remember that this is right before bedtime to be fair. He is a very good little man, but with a sin nature like all of us. :)

Have fun!

Prayer Warrior.

My mom and dad are two of the most amazing people in my life. As their daughter I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. I have watched them deal with two wayward children with strong wills, many job lay offs, recessions, church splits and countless other disappointments or opportunities for the Lord to stretch and grow them up.
My mom has always been a prayer warrior who asked Chad and I every morning if we had, "put out armour on, and have you read your Word today?"
She knew that the enemy was out for blood. Especially kids that loved God.
We got so used to hearing those two questions that we grew numb and began to say "yes" just to get out the door in the morning. Wow how stupid and clueless were we?

She never stopped praying for us though. That was the one thing I could always count on her for...her prayers for me. Even when I was angry and bitter she still loved me and prayed for me. I want to be that kind of mom. To love my kids to the cross.

She told me one time that she would pray that God would do whatever He had to do to save my brother and me. She didn't care what it took just so we wouldn't go to hell. I understand that desperation now that I have kids of my own.

I am currently reading a book called Shepherding a Child's Heart, by Tedd Tripp. The first four chapters have been really good. The premise is to alert parent's to the understanding that to deal with wrong behaviour is to deal with the heart . God wants our heart's and since we are to discipline our kids to love the Lord and to serve Him then we must direct them to the source of love, Jesus. We discipline and teach our kids to obey not because we need to be respected, but because God needs to be obeyed and respected.
Anyways...I have been touched. Joey and I are teaching our kids these things, but it was so good to put it in my face the way this book has. It is encouraging and stirring me up to be a better parent.

I want to love more passionate and completely. I want to do away with my frustration with my kids and relax more. I want them to understand the fear of the Lord and realize how precious the gift of Jesus is. I want them to possess their salvation for their own and not ride on the coattails of their parent's. I don't want them to ever despise the blessing they have of growing up as "PK" missionary kids. I pray they grab the opportunities they will have to pour into people and love them as Christ loves us.

Please Lord, help me to surrender my short comings over to you. Be all that I need to raise these three for You. May I find my hiding place in You when my heart is overwhelmed. Give me the grace to understand their minds and hearts, may I take the time to know their strengths and weaknesses. There is nothing impossible with You, so I ask now that You would keep them in perfect peace as they keep their minds fixed on You and keep them from a rebellious heart.
May they see my mistakes as stepping stones for growth and not as excuses for adventuring from the Truth. May they desire to emulate the Christ in me and not the flesh about me.
Thank You Lord for being a keeping God. I love you with my life. Amen.

encouragement for today

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength

A very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear,

Even though the earth be removed,

and though the mountains be carried

into the midst of the sea;...

The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Be still and know that I am God;...

There is no want for those who fear the Lord.

Be blessed today and rest in Him.

He is surrounding you with His angels and

has a close eye on all your

comings and goings.

Just be STILL!

Don't ever forget!!!

" Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs." Is. 61:7

This passage is to the Jews, but we can possess this promise as well. Thank you Lord for your blessings on our life. Even though we may experience hardship and pain, you will give us a double portion as we pursue your truths. May we remember that we can have everlasting joy when we set our sights on you!

Be blessed today and know that the Lord of heaven and earth sees you as His glorious bride. He can't wait to spend time with you!


God bless!

Our whirlwind trip to Paris, France.

We spent 12 hours in France on June 3-4! It was a crazy, yet fun trip. I am blessed beyond measure and can say that I am more in love with my husband today than I was yesterday! This trip allowed us to enjoy some much needed uninterupted time away. We praise the Lord for providing for such a special get-away. These pictures include most of our trip. We took a boat tour along the river Seine which allowed us to see the highlights of Paris, including the Eiffel tower all lit up! We toured the Louvre and Notre Dame. In between we enjoyed the sights, the people, the shopping and the food. The best dessert was a Magnum bar with 2 layers of caramel and dipped in dark chocolate! I was in hog heaven!! Over all it was wonderful and fun. I would do it again if we ever had the chance!

Jordan update...

Jordan is turning one on May 20th. I have been looking forward to this 3rd baby turning one and the wonderful milestone that it represents in the life of our family of five. He is walking and jabbering on about life around him all the time. His little language includes alot of tongue rolling and gurgling sounds. Maddie will carry on conversations with him in the car which is so cute.

He eats through life and doesn't seem to gain the weight you would think he would from the amount he packs into his little body in one sitting. He eats everything! I mean it. He's entertaining to watch. Just don't run out of food unless you mean to pick him up. He will scream at you like a screeching hyena. It definitely gets your attention!

He is very content as long as his basic needs are met, and he always has a smile or a wave to offer anyone in his view. Like any good sibling, he laughs at his crazy sister and brother and wants to chase them around the house when they are crawling around like animals.

At the moment, he enjoys being outside whenever he can and enjoys taking rides in the car. Whenever I open the car to get something and he happens to be in my arms he lunges to get in. So strange. At times when we are at the park or in the front I put out the small soccer ball and I carry him around so he can kick it. He giggles the whole time! So great!

He wants me the most at this time of life. He finds me anywhere and enjoys just hangin out in my arms. He is content being with daddy, but if he has the choice, he's with me. I love it and know it will change before I know it. He holds my ear when he's snuggling me. Its a comfort thing for him. Some kids suck their thumb, some have a blankie; Jordan has "an ear". He holds his own as well. And when he's really tired he'll press his head against my cheek and listen to me sing to him in low tones. So sweet and special. He is very sweet and very good.

I am down to one feeding a day...well at night. I love it. It still makes me stop and realize how time is flying by and just how tired I am as I rest with him.

Jordan fits very well with our family. It has not been much of a transition because he's been so easy. He is a jolly fellow full of life and I love him to pieces.

We are blessed and thank the Lord for our kids every day. They are amazing and never cease to amaze us with their questions and inquiries about the world and the One who made it.

God give us the grace and wisdom of how to answer them.

Love you all.

Strengthen the weak and feeble.

Isaiah 35:1-4

I was reading this morning in Isaiah again and found myself encouraged once again by the poetic, inspired words that are recorded for our blessing. Isaiah is telling us what the future of Zion is and states,

"The desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;

it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice,...the glory of Lebanon shall be

given to it,

the excellence of Carmel and Sharon.

They shall see the glory of the Lord. The excellency of our God."

The beauty of these places were considered at the time the most lovey out of all the land. They were the most fruitful and the most beautiful. However, we are told here that they will become even more beautiful and fruitful, showing us God's hand and favor on the nation of Israel. I am looking forward to the day when Israel is blessed in this way. When we will see the Gentile nations that have fought against and slaughtered the innocent, destroyed and humbled as they watch God's hand of blessing.

And for what purpose will God do this? That they may see the glory of the Lord! Yes! It will all be for His glory and excellence that He will exalt the nation of Israel! It is always to bring glory and honor to His name! As you are going about your day, be reminded that all you do should be done unto Him; being reminded that you are to be bringing Him all glory and honor and praise!

After all, doesn't He deserve all we have to give?

After being reminded of how He will increase the fruitfulness of the land, we read how we are to encourage those who are failing or struggling through this Christian walk and difficult times,

"Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.

Say to those who are fearful hearted, be strong and do not fear!

Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God;

He will come and save you."

I was so blessed when I read this. My hearts cry today is just this, to first be strengthened myself in every way by His Spirit and then to go out and share with those who are weak and feeble. I believe many Christians are feeling this way. They need their weak hands strengthened. The way we do this is to hold onto the promises of the Lord. How do we do that? By reading His word and speaking them out!

When you are feeling feeble, just drop down and pray! God loves a broken and humble person! When we recognize that we are feeble and can no longer stand firm, just fall to your knees and God will strengthen you as your spirit communes with His Spirit! We are to be obedient to do this for we are also commanded to stand firm! So Christian, get in the word of God! Speak out the truths of God, and when your knees are feeble, drop down and pray. Stay there until you hear Him say, "Go and be strong in the power of My might!"

"For it is not by might nor by power but by My Spirit" says the Lord! Zech. 4:6

Blessings and love

Resurrection weekend

What a wonderful and full weekend we had! It all began with our friend, Patti, from our sending church in NJ, coming to stay with us. She is working with a Wycliffe team up in Oxford for two weeks, so she made her way over for the weekend to Cambridge to be apart of this momentous occasion in our lives. She arrived tired but blessed early Fri. afternoon.

Below: Patti Rechten
Maddie took the shot below. Its not the best but its what I have =)


She quickly settled in and went to work helping me prepare for the Fri. study. She was so blessed to be here and to be apart of the study as we were to have her. The next day we awoke to snow, hail, sleet and rain. After the four types of weather passed through, the sun broke out and it would start all over again within 15 min. or so. Such a crazy day! Joey and Patti attempted going out in this awful weather in order to watch a Passion play that was put together by several of the different Christian churches in the area. They never made it, but were able to walk a bit in the city center and show Patti a bit of our beautiful city here.

Saturday night was mellow for the most part except for our late night rendezvous to the store. In order to purchase items for our lunch after church on Sunday. =)
Now, in the midst of preparing for Sunday and deciding the direction the Lord wanted me to take with the children, I had been functioning off of little sleep. Jordan decided that this would be a good week to start waking in the middle of the night again and needing me.
So with Patti here there was no way of breaking that until our much welcomed guest was gone. So I was soooo tired and a bit anxious wondering how I was going to teach children's ministry every week.

When I woke up on Sunday morn at 6 am, the ground was covered with snow and I was ready. I felt the Lord's peace and hand of guidance over the entire morning.
There was no concern about the weather. In fact it was lovely. Josiah has been praying for snow for weeks now and it was answered. People arrived shortly after the start time and we were on our way. We had a borrowed worship leader from another Calvary, which saved Joey's voice and multitasking. Such a blessing.
I loved the worship. I loved being apart of it! The kids were there as well and were so well behaved! I am excited about being involved with worship. I am hoping that Jon Mac and I will get to do worship together once he is here.

The worship service! J.P. from CCNorwich led the singing portion.

The kids joined in for worship!

Then Joey brought the Word!

AWESOME!

Julie Saggers (pictured below) was there which was such an answer to prayer. If you are not aware of Julie's situation, she has been struggling with depression for quite some time but the last couple of months it has been severe. She woke up one day last week with a lighter countenance so to see her smiling and engaging with people was wonderful.

Julie and Tiff

When the service was all done, everyone enjoyed a cup of something and I got started on lunch. Patti was amazing! She stepped graciously in and helped me in every way as well as the other women.
While I worked, Jordan received lots of cuddles from everyone. Including the men! I am so grateful to have people in my life here that love my kids. I have missed that more than I can say since being here.

Tracy and Tiff

Patti was picked up around 4:30. Before she left, I asked Patti for some advice for the future functions like this since she is a veteran when it comes to hostessing. She shared some pearls with me that I will work on for the future. Thank you my friend!

This is a new couple to our fellowship:

Michelle, Rob, and daughter in Georgina.

Joey and Martin

All went off without a hitch and the fellowship lasted til 6pm! WOW, was I tired, but overwhelmed by God's goodness. What a great thing to have my house full of God's people and to serve them in this way. It truly felt like a family; a new beginning!!!

Thank you all for praying. We could sense God's people doing business with the Lord on our behalf. We know that the attacks will keep coming. They are in our faces all the time. The enemy has been going after our kids and our marriage which is to be expected. He distracts and keeps us from spending time together even though we are in the same house. He stirs up the kids and they begin bickering and fighting. It just keeps recycling itself. So please pray for us as a family to be protected and aware of what is really going on. The battle is not ours!

We love you all!!

Our fellowship meeting

What an awesome time of fellowship we all had here yesterday!
Joey and I held our first "Bring and Share" here at our house. We included a time of games, food, an update on how everyone can get involved with serving and a time of communion. It appeared that all had a wonderful time and left feeling uplifted and excited about what the Lord has planned for the future of this fellowship of believers.

The Picture above is Heather, our sitter and friend of course!
The Picture on the right is of Ang., Monika, Heather and Maddie.
The pic. on the bottom right in a group shot with Isaac in front.

Joey and I are so honored that the Lord continues to use us to encourage and bring Jesus to this community. We are amazed at how ignorant so many are here about what the word of God says and those who are numb to what society deems as okay.
It grieves my spirit as I know it does the Lords to know that so many are okay sleeping with their boyfriends or living with their "partner". So many Christians are unaware about what the Bible says about this issue and other controversial topics. We know that the Holy Spirit will correct this in time for those who come to hear what the Lord is guiding Joey to teach about. The Spirit is faithful to do the Lord's bidding and He desires that His children to walk in truth.

We love the people that He has placed in our lives for this season. He continues to place people in our lives without us doing any striving work. AMAZING! We are required to seek Him and be diligent to work the plow. He will bring the increase! Please pray for those who come to the Fri. night fellowship:
Monika
Ang.
Heather
Andrew
Sam
Mike
David
Mike and Tracy, Daniel and Joshua
James and Susan, Carin and Isaac
Shelia
Samuel
Mark and Julie, JJ and CJ
Rob and Michelle, Georgina(nina)

The top bunch are Uni. students and will go on Holiday next week. Please pray the Lord keeps them while they are on break and that the Lord draws them to stay in fellowship and refreshes them.

--Pray for our families. For wisdom as they raise their kids and as they pour into them spiritually.
-Pray for Julie's healing from depression and for restored joy and motivation.
-Pray for healing for Shelia and Samuel due to lack of father influence and lack of Godly guidance. Praise the Lord for their hearts for intercessory prayer!
-Pray for David, an American who has become a dear friend of the family and needs direction on where the Lord wants him to be. He needs provision for a place to stay here in England and for his business to take off and be successful.
Last but not least, for Joey and I to remain focused on the Lord, for Maddie, Josiah and Jordan to love the ministry and never feel second to the work God is doing. To fall deeper in love with each other and the Lord!
Love you all!
picture of David, Joey and Sam.

A wonderful quiet moment

I was blessed this morning to have a quiet house all to myself. Joey took the kids to church and I stayed home with a baby sleeping, my Bible, a journal and a heart ready to receive from the Lord.
I am currently studying the book of Isaiah and it is proving to be a wonderful journey.
The poetry in this book is amazing and beautiful to my soul. I feel like I am experiencing his life as he pleads with the people to repent and come back to the Lord:

"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease
to do evil..." Is. 1:16

Then he goes on and says in the Spirit,

"Come, let us reason together."
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you
are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land." Is.1:18-19

First, I am just blown away once again at how much the Lord loves this nation. He calls them to repentance all the time. He reminds them of what they are doing that is grieving His heart... They were worshipping idols, marrying the pagans, participating in disgusting things that perverted their worship to the Lord. But He loves them so just as He loves those who have been grafted in.
So He offers them a pardon, a way of escape to those whom He loves. We just need to choose it. We reap what we sow, but He still offers goodness and freedom when we choose His ways.
To be cleansed from all unrighteousness:

"Say to the righteous that it shall be well with
them for they shall eat the fruit of their doings."Is. 3:10

And you know why? Two things come to mind,

1. Because He loves His kids and wants the best for us.
2. But ultimately He desires to bring glory to Himself in every way.

When He sets us back onto the straight and narrow, people will notice and will rejoice or get saved! We are giving honor to Him when our lives are renewed and put back where they belong, in His loving and powerful hands!

AWESOME!!

I was also blessed by another passage in Isaiah,

"He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, and will whistle to them from the
end of the earth...no one will be weary or stumble among them,
No one will slumber or sleep nor will the belt on their loins be loosed
nor the strap of their sandals be broken."Is.5:26

That word banner reminds me of the song His banner over me is love from the book of Song of Sol.
I was meditating for quite some time on what it means to have His banner over me. The first thing that came to my mind was how an army goes forth under a banner or a flag of colors which represents what they are fighting for. I have never seen a war movie or history book on war that did not show an army without their banner.
There is a powerful presence when you see an army well trained and lined up orderly ready to fight with their colors or banners waving in the wind, (see Joel 2:7-8). They know what they are fighting for or getting behind in a sense. They have purpose and a goal. Both demonstrated this sense of determination and pride in a belief.
The Lord also uses a banner to show His protection over us. He covers us with His banner of love. That gives me a security that nothing else can give me. That is powerful!

I am blessed to know that my belief in the Lord God, is unwavering and worth fighting for.
His banner which offers me protection, a purpose, and a sense of security makes me motivated to share this hope with others.
Some other references to His banner are found in:

Ps. 60:4-.You have given a banner to those who fear You, it will be displayed because of truth! (love that!)
Ps20:5
Song of Sol. 2:4, 6:4
Is. 13:2-Lift up a banner on a high mountain , raise your voice to them wave your hand,
that they may enter the gate of the nobles.
Is 5:26
I wrote out the two I like the best knowing that some of you won't bother to look up the passages. I know I
don't always :)

The last thing that I will leave you with today is from Joel 2:15-16, 18

"Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly;
gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the
children and nursing babies...then the Lord will be zealous for His land, and
pity His people."

God desires a people to be set apart! To pray and seek Him to come together in one accord, fasting and praying. This is really on my heart and I know the heart of my husband, especially being on the verge of a church plant. The call is to consecrate, to gather, and to assemble. To consecrate is to give your whole heart. Rom.12:1 states,

"I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."

Proverbs 23:26 is a good ref as well.

And of course when we gather in unity under the banner of Jesus Christ there will be victory or should I say the recognition of the victory we already have! Praise the Lord!
I pray this blessed you today and restores your soul.
SEEK HIM! Pray with us as we move forward in His will.

We will be fasting and praying every Tues. so if you would, please remember us in your prayers and if the Lord puts it on your heart, fast with us as we seek His will concerning Cambridge and the work He wants to do here.

God bless and I love you all.

Our wonderful family having some fun.

Laugh for the week part II: Josiah gets a hair cut.

We had Bible study last night.
My kids were the only children I had to watch, so
I carried on and taught the lesson I had
prepared.
As we read through the story of Jesus and Nicodemus
I notice that Josiah has a bald spot on the top of his head.
I kept thinking that it was just bed head or something,
but noooo it was a bald spot!! But wait...not just one, but two
bald spots and a side burn cut off as well!!

I had to hold back the giggle and mental image
of my mom scolding my brother for playing "barber"
with my head of hair as I stared down Maddie in
disbelief that she would do something so irresponsible.

This is the dialouge...
"Josiah, what happened to your hair?"

Josiah responds,
"Maddie took your razor thing and cut it.
"I told her not to but she didn't whisten(listen)"

I ask, (with a slight smirk on my face),
"Oh, so you just sat there and let her cut into your hair, almost
cutting you, after you told her not too?"
"It sounds like you wanted her too."

"Weeelll, I told her not too."

So I turn my gaze upon Maddie,
She is standing sheepishly with her head lowered.
Of course my heart was a bowl of mush, but I still
had to let her know that she is not a hairdresser and
should never do that again.
So I say,
"What were you thinking? You know better!
Now he has funny looking hair."

"I know. I'm sorry. But he cut mine too! Only a little."

You must promise to never do that again okay?

"Okay mommy. Please don't be mad at me. I'm sorry."

Of course I forgave her and then proceeded to tell her about my barber
experience with uncle Chaddy. He took scissors to my bangs and cut
them into a mountain range! And then took off a huge chunk of my long
locks! Needless to say, my mom flipped out on him. She wasn't as gracious
due to the long hair thing and it being the front of my hair and all. I would've
been a bit more miffed had she done the front of his hair.
So we will wait for it to grow back and thank the Lord that she didn't cut his
scalp because she came awfully close!!!
Gotta laugh!!

Just getting some water, mom!

"Okay where are you Josiah?"

I ask for the 3rd time.

"Didn't I ask you to come here?"

As I shove baby food into the yelling little person in front
of me.

"Coming mom. I'm just getting some water!"

Then I hear the sound that every mom cringes at.

"Splash, crash, glugg glugg glugg!"
"What was that?"

I calmly exclaim as I get up.
Josiah's eyes were about the size of golf balls;

"OH it was just an accident mom!"
"I didn't mean to do it."

Okay breathe...
I slowly walk into the kitchen and there on the floor
is a large bottle of sunflower oil nicely spread accross
the floor. Gushing torrents of slick oil for me to clean up
before we have people over. Have you ever tried to clean up oil?
It is next to impossible. After the sopping of towels,
you mop. After you mop, you get on your hands and
knees to find any left over residue. After the hands on experience,
you take another go at it with the mop.
Needless to say, 2 days later, we are just now walking on the kitchen floor
without slipping all over the place.
I have to say it has been funny watching Jordan(the baby)
crawl accross the slippery floor.
His legs kept sliding out from under him.

So of course I forgave him, until he took a marker and decided
the bathroom door downstairs needed a little red marker on it
to livin up the color. And then Maddie knocked over her cup in
the living room the next day and then Joey knocked the tea pot spilling tea
all over the counter...I know it will never end, because I go with
me everywhere and I make disasters all the time.
So thank God for forgiveness, laughter and lots of Bounty paper towels. :)

America the Beautiful part III, CA. Part I

Landing in CA. on Dec. 31st was such a relief. The planeride was uneventful, but we were still glad to get there.
The weather was wonderful! Warm and sunny, so we decided to hit the beach! We drove down to Balboa and take the ferry to Balboa Island where we walked the pier and put our names in at the Ruby's Diner which is a 40's diner (not like a typical NJ diner at all!). They have the best burgers around (my personal opionion of course=>)
It was so great to feel the sand and watch our kids go nuts. They have been deprived of the coastal enjoyments for quite a while so it was such a treat for them.

Ahh the beach at last! My little sunshine Girl!

Jordan and Poppa bonding.

It was Jordan's first time, not that he even cared, but it was fun. A good first day I must say.
My parent's really enjoyed the interaction with the kids and it was so wonderful to see them with Jordan. It really was a great first day.


Chad, Sarah, Tiff and Joey out for Dad and Chad.
the night!

The next couple of days were full of spending time with my parents, brother Chad, wife Sarah and my neices, Hope, 6 and Naomi, 2 (in Feb.). It was so good to be together and watch the kids play and giggle. Maddie and Hope play so well together.
Hope loooooves horses so they imagine themselves as horses and prace around together including Josiah. Naomi in an independant explorer and Jordan is just discovering the world around him, so they were in their own worlds.

We have been blessed with the opportunity every Jan. since leaving CA. to go to Disneyland as a family. This is a highlight of our trip most of the time, and this time was no exception.
We went on the new Nemo ride, went on It's A Small World, Bugs life, the ropes course, had ice cream, watched the High School musical show,...the list goes on.
Grammies bought the kids hats and a toy for Josiah. They were spoiled, but had a wonderful time. Chad and Sarah met up with us in the middle of the day and we hung out for the afternoon. It was good.

We got a shot with Mickey!

Maddie and Hope in their new hats!

Another tradition is to drive to Los Angeles and have lunch at the American Girl store where the girls can indulge their girly fantasies. Hair salon, a doll hospial, tea time, theater and of course loads of outfits to wear for every occassion. They had such a lovely time with their auntie's and Grammies. Thanks again mom!

Maddie and Emmalyn.

Maddie, Hope and Grammie Pammie.

We spent one evening with good friend of ours, Katie and Craig, Erin and Andrew and their parents. They are such a blessing and pray for our ministry all the time. We had a wonderful time of fellowship with them. Thank you again for dinner Kate!

This was such good family time and ministry time, but there was of course the main reason why we even came out in Jan. It was to attend the Missions Conference, hosted by CCCosta Mesa. We spent half of our second week in CA. in the city of Murrieta and enjoyed messages by Godly men and met so many wonderful missionaries as well as those who are praying about going out and those who just support. I will talk about that in my next blog.
It is sure alot of work trying to keep up with all this goings on. =)

In the mean time...God is doing amazing things here.
The Friday night study is growing and is such a blessing in our weekly life.
The Tues night pray time was so refreshing and liberating. Julie came out for it and she seemed to be refreshed as well. Its a wonderful feeling to know that you have done business with God on behalf of yourself and others around you.
Homeschooling went well this week, thanks be to God!
My kids are healthy for now!
My frigerator is full and our home is warm!
I was able to encourage another pastor's wife today and pray with her.
My marriage is awesome.
AND...

Last week I had spent a coulple of days on my spiritual reserves, not taking a moment to just rest with my Lord waiting for Him to speak to me. Until the moment I finally did and WOW!
Just like that my soul was nourshed. It felt like dehydration during a good workout or soccer game and as you take a good swig of water or suck down an orange slice, you feel the sudden revival of your senses and energy. I felt so pumped! The Lord spoke to my heart right away. HE was just waiting there with some wonderful nuggets just for that moment. The fresh manna of the day and I had missed it for 2 days I think. Not good.
So thank you Lord for reminding me that I am not sufficient on my own. I need to be saturated by Your word of Life. May I desire them more than the physical wants in my life or needs. You sustain me. I love You, Lord.
May you all be blessed and remember...He wants aaalll of you not just bits of you. Take time for Him.
There were so many other moments that I could share, but this will have to be enough for now.
Thank you Lord for all that you do and bless us with!

America the Beautiful part II, NC

On Christmas Eve. Joey, the kids and I, hopped into our rented SUV and drove 8 hours down south to N. Carolina to spend Christmas with Joey's side of the family.


Our first stop was Mom and Dad Rozek's where we feasted on a delicious meal and spent time with Grandma Connie, Joey's grandma who was visiting from Fla. and the rest of the gang.

Mom is the hostess with the mostest! She always make everyone feel very welcome and well fed! I love watching her interact with the kids and still manage to serve the food and clean up. She truly is an amazing woman. Dad seemed relaxed as he watched the grandkids run around their new place. It was a great sight! After several hours we left ther and headed over to Joey's sister Kim's place.


Kim and Steve have 3 kids. Noah is 8 going on 13, Karenna is 6, Luke is 4.

-Noah can't wait to play sports and chess with uncle Joey. He enjoys adult conversation and engaging in adult games. He is such an intelligent young man.
He asked for a WII(WEE) for Christmas and received one which resulted in 2 days of no shower or change of pj's (I think he peeled his pj's off at the end of the 2nd day)=>. That one kept us laughing for a while!

-Karenna and Maddie play as many girlie things as they can get their hands on,

-The two mischief makers, Luke and Josiah are just waiting for the next silly thing they can do just to get a laugh.


The cousin's played so well together and even slept well in the same rooms! That was truly amazing! We laughed so much watching Josiah and Luke discover the art of being twin boys. It was so fun. We know we've crossed into a new season with our kids, because they were able to play and sleep so well together. WOW! Time really does fly!


The Willson's have a tradition every year where they read an advent book and light candles every night until Christmas Eve. We have been blessed to be apart of the final lighting the last two years. It is wonderful to have such special traditions.

Afterwards Auntie Kim allowed the kids to open one present before they went to bed on Christmas Eve. which was as you can see...Christmas jammies! Go Aunt Kim!!



Speaking of Kim...we have such an amazing relationship. We have become prayer buddies, confidants, laughing buddies, silly story buddies, homeschooling crazies, but most of all sister's in life and death. I praise the Lord for the sister I have found in her and I appreciate the wisdom that pours out of her mouth. It blesses me all the time. From the day Joey and I met she has done nothing but accept me and treat me as her friend. It has been a wonderful journey together so far and I am looking forward to the years ahead as we both grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.


Of course Jordan was scooped up and enjoyed to the fullest by everyone. Noah had a blast watching Jordan explore. I believe he asked mom if they could have another baby. I don't think they disagreed! Noah is loving the game of American football so he thought it would be great to take a shot of Jordan with the football. What do you think? It looks good in his hands doesn't it? If daddy has anything to do with it he will love the game as well as baseball!


Well to end a wonderful stay and many nights of "chicken foot", we went out for dinner with the adults and then headed out to the movies. It was such a good time had by all and we pray we get to do it again soon.

Part III, Dec.31st, ON TO CALI!!!